Name: WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025
Start: 2025-07-07T07:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-07-11T23:00:00+02:00
Location: Palexpo

Back to the Future: Putting the “I” (individual) back into A.I

Institute for Digital Culture, University of Leicester

Session 187

Tuesday, 8 July 2025 11:00–11:45 (UTC+02:00) Physical (on-site) participation only WSIS+20 Open Space, Palexpo Emerging Technologies Interactive Session 2 Documents

Revisiting Our Common Future

NOTE: THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH HIGH LEVEL OF AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION BEING SOUGHT AND WELCOMED

Have your voice heard in this session........ which will be by way of an open/roving microphone method .....

The session is Chaired/facilitated by Dr Sarah Jane Fox - Institute for Digital Culture (with a few invited guests) but you, 'THE AUDIENCE' will take centre stage in this session.......

The starting point is that:

Nearly 40-years ago the Brundtlant Report spoke of ‘OUR COMMON FUTURE’ and alluded within that, technology had a role to play, in terms of being, “A mainspring of economic growth…” but also, recognised, “while this technology offers the potential for slowing the dangerously rapid consumption of finite resources, it also entails high risks, including new forms of pollution and the introduction to the planet of new variations of life forms that could change evolutionary pathways.”

Was one variant to be viewed as ‘AI?’ – remembering that as early as 1950 Alan Turing, posed the question, “can machines think?”

Key dates: to also be reflected on are 2015 - to today: 2025 - and beyond ...... into our future......

This session sets out to explore the impact of technology – including AI, and the potential change to OUR evolutionary pathway which is inherently influenced by our collective and, yet, ‘individual’ past experiences.

It sets out to 'question,' and, to act as a potential reboot mechanism, for advising and advancing on the future direction......

Food for thought to the audience - pre-session

Would we 'as an international collective community' do the same thing today? Would we take the same approach?

Are there lessons to be learnt from the past? Is the future always better than the past?

What is the impact of technology to the wider sustainability goals: does technology always aid? What is the impact to specific sectors: electric and other utility distribution networks, communication systems, and mass transportation, for example?

And, What is the impact to the individual?

RAISE YOUR QUESTIONS AND POSE YOUR THOUGHTS......

Dr. Sarah Jane Fox Researcher/educator/associate director Institute for Digital Culture, University of Leicester, UK Moderator

Dr Sarah Jane Fox is a skilled academic-practitioner and thought-leader, with extensive experience in Higher Education and external to it, whereby she has worked in government and consultancy roles.

Dr Fox is currently an academic at Leicester Law School, University of Leicester (UK) and is also a Co-Director for the Institute of Digital Culture.

Dr Fox specialises in law, policy and strategy. She is an internationally recognised expert-specialist in transport, particularly, air/aviation, space and road transport modes and systems (including autonomous vehicles) sustainable future use and advancing cyber-connected technologies. This includes safety/security/cybersecurity factors. Her research also includes the social acceptance of evolving technology, engagement and EDI issues.

In 2015-2016 Dr Fox achieved a highly coveted Fulbright Commission Scholarship, whereby she undertook research in the U.S. for 12-months across the areas of aviation/autonomous systems (drones) and space.

Dr Fox has presented her research at a number of international key events, including at the United Nations (UN - ITU/WSIS; OOSA; ODC) the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe. She continues to collaborate extensively with the UN and EU and is an adviser to a technology (Europol group).

In September and October, 2024, Sarah Jane Fox took part in key policy discussions in the United Nations (ICAO) U.S. and the EU on technology risks, challenges and opportunities. In September Sarah Jane was a top-20 finalist of the United Nations SDG Game Changer Awards. This accolade honours individuals and organisations that are working towards rescuing the global goals through digital technologies and exemplifies how digital technologies can lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, inclusive and responsible future. Dr Fox’s ongoing collaborative work relates to technologies used for peaceful purposes, namely to benefits society and protect national infrastructures (from misuse): it is based on sharing policies and guidance, and it was acknowledged within the Peace Category, which relates to building peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16 and 17).

Prof. Alfredo M. Ronchi Professor Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Alfredo M. Ronchi is a professor at Politecnico di Milano (Engineering Faculty).

He is an expert/advisor in e-Services, Head of the JRC S2D2 (Safety, Security, Defence, Disaster Recovery and Management), Secretary General of the EC-MEDICI Framework of Cooperation, delegate at UNESCO IFAP and active member of the WSIS since the establishment (2003-to date).

Mr Ronchi is a member of the following Boards: Member of AI&Society board (Springer Nature), Board of Directors Global Forum (France), Member Emeritus World Summit Award Board of Directors (Austria), Board of Directors European Education New Society Association (ENSA France). Member of the Keio University NoE (Japan). Member of the Advisory Board of the School of Law under the aegis of GD Goenka University (Hyderabad, India).
He cooperated as an organizer or programme chair in W3C, ACM, IEEE, ITU-WSIS conferences; and, for over more than thirty-five years he has been organizing and managing international projects, conferences and workshops.

He is the author/contributor of more than 400 papers and various books on: e-Culture, e-Government, e-Safety & Security, and e-Services.

Topics

5G Technology Artificial Intelligence Big Data Blockchain Capacity Building Cloud Computing Cultural Diversity Cybersecurity Digital Divide Digital Economy Digital Inclusion Digital Skills Digital Transformation Education Emerging Technologies Environment Ethics Global Digital Compact (GDC) Health Human Rights Infrastructure Machine Learning Smart Cities WSIS+20 Review

WSIS Action Lines

C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
C2. Information and communication infrastructure
C5. Building confidence and security in use of ICTs
C6. Enabling environment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-health
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-environment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-agriculture
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-science
C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
C9. Media
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
C11. International and regional cooperation

This predominantly links to the following Action Lines:

C1; C2; CD5; C7; C10

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Documents

Outcome Document_Session 187_Institute for Digital Culture|University of Leicester, UK WSIS_2025_Session_187v2.-INVITATION.pdf